Traffic indicator



I April 1, 1930. H. ROHRDANTZ 1,752,756

TRAFFIC INDICATOR Filed Feb. 5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l 7 April 1930. H. ROHRDANTZ v 1,752,756

TRAFFI C INDI CATOR Filed Feb. 5, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVZZV'TOB- Jz enry ,Emmmzz (BMZW April 1, 1930. H. ROHRDANTZ TRAFFIC INDICATOR Filed Feb. 5, 1929 INVINTOR Patented Apr. 1, 1930 HENRY ROHRDAN'IZ, FHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA TRAFFIC INDICATOR Application filed February 5, 1929. Serial no; 337,549.

' My inventionrelates to new and useful improvements in a traffic indicator, particular- 1y adapted for use on vehicles, especially automobiles, and has for one of its objects to 5 provide a manually actuated device of this character for use on either open or closed cars by the interchange of suitable supporting members. The indicator is designed to be located at the front of the vehicle in order that it will be visible at all times to the operator as well as to surrounding traffic. The indicator is for use as a signal to indicate the operators intentions regarding the directions in which he intends to guide the vehicle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple unique mechanism for operating the direction index device which device includes a lamp and arrow or pointer.

Another object of the invention is to provide a grooved pulley spring actuated. in one direction and adapted to receive a belt by which it is rotated in the opposite direction against the action of-the spring. Said pulley is limited in its movements in one direction by a stop co-operating therewith and in the other direction by a stop device associated with the handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide simple and effective means for adjusting portions thereof so thatthe operating handle will be in proximity to the operators hands. l

A further object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the tension on the operating handle "in order to properly counteract the tension of the spring which rotates the index in one direction whereby said index may be maintained in any set position.

40 A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction'wherein the connections or joints between the different operating parts will be protected against rain, snow, sleet, dust or the like.

With these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and, then specifically designated by the claims.

v In order that. those skilled in the art to,

which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describeits construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which Fig. l, is a side elevation of a traiiic indicator constructed in accordance with my invention showing it attached to a portion of a closed vehicle, a portion of which as well as parts of the signal being shown in section to illustrate details of construction and the index shown in a position to indicate a right hand turn.

Fig. 2, is a somewhat similar View showing the indicator attachedto a portion of an open car with the index illustrated in a position for'indicating a forward movement of the vehicle.

Fig. 3, is. an enlarged plan view of the sup port or clamp used in connection with the construction shown in Fig. 2.

Fig; 4, is a top plan view of Fig. 1, but showing the index in a position like that in Fig. 2 and illustrating by dotted lines some of the other positions which maybe assumed by the arrow or pointer of the index.

Fig. 5, is an enlarged side elevation of the operating handle, looking at the face opposite that shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 6, is an enlarged perspective view of one" of the hinge members.

Fig. 7, is an enlarged face view of one of the supporting members.

Fig. 8, is 'a side elevation, on a reduced scale, of the arm, mounting, and operating handle, illustrating another way of installing the device and a means for adjusting the position of the handle.

Fig. 9, is a plan view of the base portion of the pulley housing and the pulley thereon.

Fig. 10, is a section of the complete pulley housing and lamp on the line 1010 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 11, is a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 10 with the cover of the pulley housing and the lamp socket plug removed.

Fig. 12, is an enlarged upper edge view. of the operating handle and component parts.

Fig. 13, is an enlarged face view thereof with the parts in section and another part broken away to illustrate details of construction and also showing the belt which actuates the index.

Fig. 14, is a section on the line 14-14 of Fig. 13 with the lower part of the operating handle left in elevation.

Fig. 15, is an end view of the bolt in the operating handle tension device.

Fig. 16, is a plan view of a housingor cover for the hinge between the operating handle and the arm of the indicator.

Fig. 17, is an end view thereof.

Fig. 18, is a sectional view similar to Fig. 11 but in a slightly lower plane to illustrate a modification.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, 20 represents a tubular arm, the outer end of which is suitably constructed for the reception of a union nut 21 having threaded connection with the tubular stem 22 of the base 23 which latter has an upstanding flange 24 on the forward portion thereof. By providing the union connection between the arm 20 and the base, the latter may be adjusted relative to or about the axis of said arm 20.

The base is provided. with an upwardly projecting barrel 25 open from end to end and the upper end is adapted to receive the electric light bulb 26 while the lower end receives the socket plug 27 provided with the usual metallic hub 28 to which an electric conductor is connected for carrying current to the bulb. The other side of the circuit may be carried through another conductor or grounded to the frame of the machine through the metallic ]parts of the indicator as is usual in automo ile lighting systems.

About the barrel is rotatably mounted a hollow grooved pulley 29 provided with a sleeve 30 which also surrounds the barrel and provides an eXtendedbearing surface for said pulley as well as a means by which the lamp casing or housing 31 is connected for rotation with the pulley and said lamp casing may be fastened to the sleeve by any suitable means, such as a screw 32.

WVithin the grooved pulley is a coiled spring 33 preferably a ribbon spring, having oneend attached to a lug 34, punched from the barrel 25, which is stationary, while the other end maybe connected to a lug 35 punched from the grooved pulley 29.

In order to maintain the spring under tension, the pulley is provided with a fragmentary flange 36, the ends of which provide two stops 37 and 38 for co-operation with a stop pin 89 projecting from the base 23. WVhen the pulley with the spring therein is placed over the barrel, it is held above the stop pin and rotated until the lugs or projections 34 and 35 register with apertures in respective endsof the spring and then said pulley is rotated until the stop 38 is in back of the stop pin 39 as shown in Fig. 10 then said pulley is slid down over the barrel until the lower edge of the bottom opens and rests on a washer 40 superimposed on the base 23.

Prior to placing the lamp casing in position on the sleeve 30 the cover 41 of the pulley housing is mounted upon the base 23 and thefront side wall of said cover is provided with a vertical slot 42 for registration with a screw 43 having threaded connection with the flange 24 of the base, said screw being jammed against the front wall of the cover to hold it in place. lVith the cover properly positioned, the lamp casing may then be put into place and its lower end will rest on a washer 44 superimposed on the cover. A belt 45, Figs. 1 and 13, passes part way around the grooved pulley and has one end suitably fixed thereto. For convenience of illustra-. tion, the end of the belt to be fastened to the pulley may have a small cross bar 46 attached thereto for engagement with slots 47 in the flanges of the grooved pulley, and when in placethe lugs 47 can be bent in to prevent accidental disconnection of the belt. These fiangesa-re the top and bottom parts of the grooved pulley when considered with relation to Fig. 9 but are not to be confused with the fragmentary flange 36 which projects only from the lower complete pulley flange.

The belt passes around the pulley in the same direction as the spring does about the barrel sothat by pulling upon the opposite end of the belt, said spring will be wound up or its tension increased and said other end of the belt passes out of the cover of the pulley housing and thence into and through the stem 22 and then into and through the arm 20 to a place for operation, as will be present- 1y described.

As hereinbefore suggested, the lamp casing forms a part of an index and the balance of said index consists of an arrow or pointer 48 suitably. secured to the front end of said lamp casing and disposed across the vertical center of saidfront end so that when in place, the raysof light issuing from the lamp will shine upon both sides of the arrow or pointer, making said faces visible from opposite directions.

l Vhen the device is used in connection with a closed vehicle, the arm 20 is screwed into the boss 49 on the support 50 and there held against accidental displacement by means of the jam nut 51. The boss has a bore all the way through which registers with a hole 52 made in a part of the vehicle body 53 and a hinge member 54 is secured on the inside of the vehicle body. As illustrated in Fig. 6, the hinge member 54 includes a plate or panel 55 having an opening 56 which is threaded for a purpose to be presently described and also has ears 57 for coaction with the ears 58 of the companion hinge member 59 forming a part of the operating handle. The support 50 and the hinge member 54 may be-fastened in place on the vehicle bythe same fastening devices, herein represented as bolts 60, and their associated nuts.-

VVhen the device is to be used in connection with an open car, the supporting member is eliminated and any other suitable supporting member 61, Figs. 2 and 3, is used in its place. Such a supporting member may be a clamp as herein illustrated, adapted to clamp about a frame member 62, such as a side of a wind shield and provided with an eye 63 through-which the arm 20'passes. In this arrangement, the hinge member 54 is used but is screwed directly upon, the inner end of the arm 20 and not fastened to any part of the automobile body and in order to prevent accidental displacement thereof, .a lock nut 64 may be jammed against a face of said'hinge member. The same as before described, the ears 58 of the companion hinge member 59 coact with the hinge member 54 and the two are hingedly connected by a pintle on which is journalled a guide pulley 66.

The belt 45 in passing through the members of the hinge rides over the guide pulley 66 and then through the tube 67 forming a part of the operating mechanism. To one side of the tube is secured a plate 68 by means of its extension 69 which has a bolt 70 mounted therein and forming an axle for the grooved pulley 71 which has a handle 72 whereby said pulleyimay be rotated. The belt 45 passes part-way around the pulley 71 and then into the transverse hole 73 where it is secured by a wedge-shaped pin 74.

On the. other face of the pulley 71 and passing over the bolt 70 is mounted a friction disc 75 provided with a clip 76 which 'bridgesthe space between the plate 68 and said disc 75 and is set into a notch 77 in the plate 68 to prevent rotation of the disc 75.

The threaded end of the bolt 70 is preferably sheared off on two opposite sides as indicated at 78 in Fig. 15, and is also reduced in size relative to the main body portion, thus providing for its registration with a similarly shaped opening in the disc 75 to further assist in preventing rotation of said disc as well as in washers 79 which may be interposed between the disc and a thumb nut 80 screwed on to said bolt for forcing the disc against the pulley 71 in order to provide the necessary friction to overcome the tension of the spring 33 so as to preventsaid spring from moving the indicator from any set position.

As there is a possibility that an operator might actuate the operating handle a greater distance than is necessary which'might cause the belt to be slackened after the rotation of the index has stopped and since this might be detrimental to the proper operation of the indicator, I provide means to overcome such a condition, said means consisting of a pin 71* projecting from a face of the pulley 71 and extending into an arcuate slot 7 5 formed in one of the plates enclosing the pulley 71 and preferably such slot is formed in the disc 75, said slot being of such length that the pin 71 will engage an end thereof just prior to or just as one of the shoulders 37, 38 engages the pin 39.

In order to protect the pulley 66 and the.

parts of the hinge from the elements, said hinge may be partially enclosed by a housing 81 which is substantially of inverted U- shape in cross section, Figs. 16 and 17, and this housing must be of such shape as to snugly fit over the hinge and its top wall is provided with a hole 82 for registration with the pintle 65.

From this, it will be noted that different housings will be necessary for the diiferent positions into which the operating mechanism may be adjusted, but as they are interchangeable and as it is usually unnecessary to readjust the position of the operating handle after the desired adjustment is obtained, a suitable housing is placed thereon.

The electrical conductor hereinbefore mentioned as leading to the lamp is represented by the numeral 83 and passes into the stem 22 through a hole 84, Fig. 11, and then through the arm to the hinge from which point itmay run to a suitable manually operated switch as well as a switch connected with the vehicle brake so that it can be automatically operated during the daytime when the brake is actuated and so that it may be lighted and maintained in this condition during darkness or in the daytime.

If found desirable, the device may be installed on a closedcar in manner similar to that described in connection with an open car so that the arm 20 is screwed directly into the hinge member 54 by passing said arm through a hole, such as shown at 52 in Fig. 1 but of larger diameter than therein illustrated so as to be of suflicient size to receive the arm, and in such a case the hinge member 54 would be fastened about the inside of a part of the automobile body, but the support 50 would be eliminated, although if found desirable, a suitable escutcheon could be mounted in this location.

In order to provide for lengthwise adjustment of the device or to provide for changing the distance of the operating handle from the inner surface of the automobile body to which the device is attached, a nipple 85' of desired length could be placed in the hinge member 59 and in acollar 86 having threaded engagebent with the tubes 67..

The arm 20 may also be used for supporting a rear view mirror 87.

. In practice, the operating mechanism is installed so that the operating handle 7 2'wil'] be in any position desired by the operator of the vehicle and in a location best suited for said operator. The index and component parts of the lamp are then attached to the arm 20 and adjusted so as to be in a vertical posit-ion.

The spring 33 being wound up, there will be a constant tension upon the pulley 29 so as to hold the stop 38 in engagement with or adjacent the stop pin 39 and likewise a tension will be maintained upon the belt 45, but the tensionof said spring is not sufficient to overcome the friction created by the disc 7 5 againstthe operating pulley 71. lVith the parts positioned as shown in Figs. 1, 10 and 11, and as indicated by dotted lines 89 in Fig. t, the index device isindi'cating that the driver oi the vehicle intends to make a right hand turn, but by rotating the operating pulley 71 through the medium of the handle 72 until the latter is in a vertical position as shown in Fig. 2, the device indicates that the vehicle is proceeding forwardly and that it is the operators intention to continue such direction.

\Vhen the operator wishes to make a lefthand turn, the operating handle is moved to another position to the right of that shown in Fig. 2 which will turn the index to a position opposite that shown in Fig. 1, and as in dicated at 90, in Fig. 4:, and by rotating the operating handle still further to the right, the index can be moved to a position, such as shown at 91, in Fig. 4, to give warning that the vehicle is to be reversed.

In order to eliminate the necessity of disassembling the spring 33 when the pulley 29 is removed for repairs or replacement, a ring ()5. Fig. 18, can be placed to surround the spring, and in this case, the outer end of said spring is attached to a lug 96 projecting from the inner face of the ring so that the spring will tend to rotate said ring the same as if the spring were connected with the pulley, as shown in Fig. 11. In order to rotate the pulley, the ring is then connected therewith by means of a pin 97, or its equivalent, projecting from the ring for registration with a notch 98 in the lower edge of the pulley, and when these parts are in registration, the ring and pulley will operate in unison and motion will be transmitted from the ring to said pulley.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have provided an exceedingly simple, effective, compact and easily operated traiiic indicator which may be readily installed on different types of vehicles, especially automobiles for warning pedestrians and the operators of other vehicles comprising surrounding traflic of the intentions of the operator of the vehicle provided with such a device, regarding the directions in which he intends to guide the vehicle.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is 1. A traffic indicator comprising a stationary arm for attachment to a suitable support, a spring actuated index including a lamp and indicator mounted on the outer end of said arm, a belt connected with the index for rotating the same against the action of the spring, said belt passing through the stationary arm, a pulley supported adjacent the operators position within the vehicle, a handle carried by said pulley and provided with an opening into which the belt is projected, means also positioned in said opening to secure the belt, a plate disposed on each face of the pulley, and means for forcing one of the plates against the pulley, a portion of said means also acting as an axle for the pulley.

2. A traffic indicator comprising a stationary arm for attachment to a suitable support, a hinge member associated with the inner end of said arm, another hinge member coacting with the first mentioned hinge member, a pintle connecting said members, a pulley journalled on said pintle, an operating mechanism carried by the second mentioned hinge member, an index at the outer end of the stationary arm and including a hollow grooved pulley, a spring for actuating said pulley in one direction, a sleeve projecting from said pulley, a lamp casing connected to said sleeve, a pointer carried by the lamp casing, ard a lamp located within the lamp casing and a belt having one end connected to the grooved pulley passing through the stationary arm and over the guide pulley on the hinge pintle and having the other end connected with the operating mechanism whereby actuation of the latter in one direction will move the index against the action of the spring and the actuation of said operating mechanism in the opposite direction permit ting the spring to operate the index in the opposite direction.

3.. The structure set forth in claim 2 in combination with means to limit the rotary movements of the index.

i. A signal including a base member, a flange at one side thereof, a stem projecting therefrom, a stationary arm for connection to a vehicle and to which the base is attached, a barrel open from end to end located centrally of the base, a hollow grooved pulley mounted to rotate about the barrel, a sleeve projecting from the pulley and engaging the barrel as an extended bearing surface for said pulley, a lug on the barrel, :1 lug on the pulley, a spring having its ends connected with said lugs and tending to rotate the pulley in one direction, means to limit the rotary movements of said pulley, a housing for said pulley, a lamp casing mounted on the end of the sleeve which projects outside of the housing, a pointer carried by the lamp casing, a lamp mounted in the barrel and surrounded by the lamp casing, a belt having one end passing part Way around the grooved pulley and attached to the latter and operating mechanism to which the other end of said belt is attached.

5. The structure set forth in claim 4, wherein the pulley housing has a slot in one of its Walls and a screw carried by the base flange and registering with said slot whereby said housing is removably secured to the base.

6. A traffic indicator including a stationary arm, a spring actuated index carried by the outer end of said arm and including a lamp and pointer, the latter being rotatable, a hinge member associated with the inner end of said stationary arm, another hinge member pivotment with a face of the pulley, means to force the disc against the pulley, means to hold the disc against rotation and a belt running from the index to the pulley whereby the operation of said pulley in one direction will transmit motion through the belt to the index against the action of the spring.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

HENRY ROHRDANTZ. 

